Pronunciations of English names for Algonquian languages

Will Oxford, 25 June 2023 | how to cite | home

Common pronunciations of the English names of Algonquian languages are given below, transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet. The pronunciations are based on my observations of how the names are pronounced by linguists who are familiar with each language. Corrections are welcome.

It should be emphasized that these English pronunciations do not necessarily match the pronunciations (nor even the names) that are used in the Algonquian languages themselves, analogous to how the word France is pronounced as [fɹænts] in English but [fʁɑ̃s] in French.

Names whose etymology is English-internal are not listed (e.g. Blackfoot).

Abenaki [ˌæbəˈnæki]

Algic [ˈældʒɪk] (or [ˈælɡɪk]?)

Algonquian [ælˈɡɑŋkiən] (the spelling pronunciation [ælˈɡɑŋkwiən] is also sometimes heard)

Algonquin [ælˈɡɑŋkwɨn] (a spelling pronunciation, much more common than the more etymologically accurate [ælˈɡɑŋkɨn])

Arapaho [əˈɹæpəhoʊ]

Atikamekw [əˈtikəmɛk]

Cree [kɹi]

Cheyenne [ʃaɪˈæn] (not [ʃaɪˈɛn])

Gros Ventre [ˈɡɹoʊvɑnt]

Innu [ˈɪnu]

Kickapoo [ˈkɪkəpu]

Lenape [ləˈnɑpeɪ]

Loup [lu]

Mahican [məˈhikən]

Maliseet [ˈmæləsit]

Massachusett [mæsəˈtʃusət]

Menominee [məˈnɑməni]

Meskwaki [məsˈkwɑki]

Miami-Illinois [maɪˈæmi ɪləˈnɔɪ]

Michif [ˈmɪtʃɨf]

Mi'kmaq [ˈmiɡmɑ]

Mohegan [moʊˈhiɡən]

Montauk [ˈmɑntɔk]

Munsee [ˈmʌnsi]

Mushuau Innu [ˈmuʃwaʊ ˈɪnu]

Nanticoke [ˈnæntəkoʊk]

Narragansett [næɹəˈɡænsət], [nɛɹəˈɡænsət]

Naskapi [nəˈskɑpi], [nəˈskæpi]

Natick [ˈneɪtɪk]

Nipissing [ˈnɪpəsɪŋ]

Nipmuck [ˈnɪpmʌk]

Odawa [oʊˈdɑwɑ]

Ojibwe [oʊˈdʒɪbweɪ]

Ottawa [ˈɑtəwə], [ˈɑtəwɑ]

Passamaquoddy [ˌpæsəməˈkwɑdi]

Penobscot [pəˈnɑbˌskɑt]

Pequot [ˈpikwɑt]

Potawatomi [pɑtəˈwɑtəmi]

Powhatan [paʊəˈtæn]

Quiripi [ˈkwɪɹəpi]

Sauk [sɔk]

Saulteaux [ˈsoʊtoʊ]

Shawnee [ˈʃɔni]

Unami [uˈnɑmi]

Wampanoag [ˈwɑmpənɔɡ]

Wiyot (Algic, not Algonquian) [ˈwijɑt]

Yurok (Algic, not Algonquian) [ˈjʊrɑk]